1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum type washer, and more particularly, to a top-loading drum type washer having a door provided to its topside, in which a position detection Hall sensor always aligns a drum opening to coincide with the door on stopping an operation of the washer.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a washer employs a motor as a main motive power source, and executes washing, rinsing, and dewatering cycles to remove filth from a laundry using reaction of a detergent and water. A general washer consists of a motor as a power device, a mechanical unit transferring energy to a laundry, a control unit controlling a washing course, a water supply unit for supplying water and a drain unit for draining water.
Washers are generally classified into a drum (cylinder) type, an agitator type, and a pulsator type.
The agitator type washer performs washing in a manner of turning an agitator projected upward from a center of a tub in alternate directions. The pulsator type washer performs washing in a manner of rotating a disc type pulsator to generate a water current for washing. And, the drum type washer performs washing in a manner of rotating a drum receiving water and laundry therein at a low rotational speed centering on a horizontal axis. In doing so, the laundry is lifted up to fall so as to be washed by the corresponding potential and kinetic energy. Specifically, the drum type washer has many advantages in causing almost no damage to the laundry and using a less amount of water and the demand for the drum type washer is rising.
In the drum type washer, an opening for a laundry input/output or a door is provided to a front part of a washer cabinet. In such a front-loading drum type washer, a drum opening, a tub opening, and a door is fixed to or aligned with a horizontal axis. Hence, the front-loading drum type washer needs no means for adjusting a position of the drum.
Yet, since the door is provided to a front side of the cabinet, a user has to bend herself/himself forward to input or withdraw a laundry via the door. Hence, the user needs a sufficient space for the job of inputting/withdrawing the laundry. Thus, the front-loading drum type washer needs a supplementary space for user's motion as well as its installation space.
To overcome such a disadvantage, a top-loading washer has been proposed. In case of employing a tip-loading system, a user needs not to excessively bend herself/himself forward to input or withdraw a laundry via a door. Hence, the supplementary space is unnecessary for the top-loading washer.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of a top-loading drum type washer according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a top-loading drum type washer 10 consists of a cylindrical drum 30 provided with a washing chamber 31 for receiving a laundry therein, a tub 20 holding the drum 30 therein to store water therein, and at least one spring 21 having one end an upper side of the tub 20 and the other end fixed to a cabinet (not shown in the drawing) of the washer. Hence, the tub 20 is suspended by the spring.
A multitude of perforated holes 32 are provided to a circumference of the drum 30 to enable the water stored in the tub 20 to communicate via the perforated holes 32.
The top-loading drum type washer 10 consists of a washing shaft 50 provided to front centers of the tub 20 and the drum 30 to rotate the drum 30 and an assist shaft 51 provided to rear centers of the tub 20 and the drum 30 to assist a rotation of the drum 30.
The top-loading drum type washer 10 consists of a bearing 62 enabling a smooth rotation of the washing shaft 50, a bearing 63 enabling a smooth rotation of the assist shaft 51, and brackets 60, 61 fixed to front and rear sides of the tub 20 to receive and support the bearings 62 and 63, respectively.
The top-loading drum type washer 10 consists of a bushing 52 serration-coupled to an outer circumference of the washing shaft 50 to rotate together and a motor 40 providing a drive force for rotating the washing shaft 50.
Specifically, the motor 40 consists of a rotor 13 rotated in case of power impression and a stator 14 fixed within the rotor 13.
The top-loading drum type washer 10 consists of a damper absorbing vibration generated from the rotation of the drum 30, a base 80 connected to the other end of the damper 22 to support weight of the drum 30, and a drain 70 for draining the used water.
And, the top-loading drum type washer 10 consists of a drum position fixing device 90 enabling openings of the drum 30 and the tub 20 to coincide with each other all the time.
An operation of the above-configured top-loading drum type washer is explained as follows.
First of all, once power is applied to the drum type washer, the rotor 13 is rotated by a magnetic field appearing on the stator 14 of the motor to rotate the bushing 52 connected thereto. A serration formed on an inner circumference of the bushing 52 gears into a serration formed on an outer circumference of the washing shaft 50 to rotate the washing shaft 50.
As the washing shaft 50 rotates, the drum 30 is rotated to make a rotation of the laundry received therein. In doing so, the laundry is repeatedly lifted upward to fall.
After completion of washing, the drum position fixing device 90 plays a role in aligning an opening of the drum 30 to coincide with an opening of the tub 20.
Specifically, a locking protrusion of the drum position fixing device 90 comes into gearing with a locking recess of the rotor 13 to determine a stop position of the drum 30.
However, in case of the related art drum type washer that determines the position of the drum with the drum position fixing device, the rotor has kinetic energy amounting to its rotational speed. Hence, the rotor receives a considerable shock on gearing with the locking recess, thereby being damaged or broken.